The No. 9 Virginia field hockey team (3-0) opened up its weekend road trip with a 5-4 victory at Rutgers (2-1) on Friday (Sept. 4) at Bauer Track & Field Complex in Piscataway, N.J.
Five different Cavaliers scored goals, including freshman Laura Schnatmeier (Bad Schwartau, Germany) who scored her first career goal, and three others logged assists. Rutgers, which had eight penalty corner chances in the second half, outshot the Cavaliers 18-17.
“We got a good win today against a good Rutgers opponent,” said Virginia head coach Michele Madison. “This was an exciting game for the fans with a lot of goals and a lot of attack. The team really impressed me with how well they played down the stretch a man down. Rutgers put the pressure on, but we were able to maintain our one-goal lead. We played to our standards today.”
The Cavaliers fell behind 1-0 after the Scarlet Knights converted their first shot of the game 1:09 into the contest. Sophomore midfielder Tara Vittese (Cherry Hill, N.J.) tied the score by converting a penalty stroke 10 minutes later. Junior strikers Caleigh Foust (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) and Riley Tata (Virginia Beach, Va.) combined to score a goal with 13:25 remaining in the half. Senior striker Taylor Brown (Charlottesville, Va.) tapped in a pass from sophomore midfielder Emilie van Zinnicq Bergmann (Dordrecht, Netherlands) three minutes later to give the Cavaliers a 3-1 lead.
Rutgers started their comeback 1:23 into the second half. The Scarlet Knights tied the game, 3-3, with 17 minutes remaining, but Schnatmeier converted a pass from junior midfielder Macy Peebles (Yorktown, Va.) to put the Cavaliers back up 4-3 a minute and a half later. Freshman Greta Ell (Plains, Pa.) added an insurance goal with 3:14 remaining, with a one-on-one against the goalie.
Rutgers was awarded a penalty stroke with 1:42 remaining in the game with Sofia Walia converting the opportunity to once again make it a one-goal game. Rutgers had the ball on attack for most of the remainder of the game, but the Virginia defense, despite playing the final five minutes of the game a man down because of a yellow card, held off the attack and secured the win.
Redshirt freshman goalie Carrera Lucas (Brooklandville, Md.) got the start in goal, earning her first career victory. Lucas and junior goalie Rebecca Holden (Fishing Creek, N.J.), who played the second half in goal, combined for four saves. Rutgers’ Shevaun Hayers made nine saves.
The Cavaliers finish off the Garden State road trip by playing at No. 15 Princeton (0-1) on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 1 p.m. The game will be streamed online as part of the Ivy League Digital Network subscription package.
The Cavaliers will be on the road again next weekend, playing at Louisville and Miami (Oh.) before returning home on Friday, Sept. 18 to host No. 5 Duke at 6 p.m. at Turf Field.
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Chris Graham
